Indigenous perspectives on invasive species
Summary
TLDRIn this presentation, Frank Mighty's discusses the Indigenous perspective on invasive species, emphasizing the importance of traditional knowledge and storytelling. He highlights the Anishinaabe view that all species have a purpose and value, and stresses the need for coexistence rather than eradication. Mighty's also addresses the impact of colonial practices on the environment and calls for a more inclusive approach to conservation that respects Indigenous rights and knowledge.
Takeaways
- 🌿 The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding invasive species from an Indigenous perspective, highlighting a shift from Western science to Indigenous knowledge systems.
- 🦅 The speaker introduces himself with his Indigenous name, Ginyu, which means 'golden eagle', and discusses his role in watching over the land and waters, reflecting the Indigenous view of humans as caretakers of the Earth.
- 📚 Historical context is provided, noting that it was once illegal for Indigenous people to share their knowledge on conservation and ecological management, showing the significance of the current dialogue.
- 🏡 The speaker acknowledges the territory he is on, recognizing the Chippewas and Mississaugas of the Williams Treaty, demonstrating respect for Indigenous territories and treaties.
- ❄️ The winter season is highlighted as a time for storytelling in Indigenous cultures, with certain stories reserved for winter when animals and spirits are believed to be less active.
- 🌱 The concept of 'All My Relations' is introduced, illustrating the Indigenous belief in a profound spiritual connection to the Earth and all living things, including plants, animals, and humans.
- 💧 The principle of 'natural law' is explained, where everything in nature follows absolute laws that do not compromise, emphasizing the importance of living in harmony with nature's rules.
- 🤝 The 'law of mutual support' is discussed, suggesting that humans and nature should work together for balance, which contrasts with the Western approach to managing invasive species.
- 🌊 The speaker discusses the Anishinaabe views on species movement, seeing it as natural and purposeful, and questions the Western approach to labeling some species as invasive without understanding their purpose.
- 🌾 Examples are given of how Indigenous people consider every species valuable, such as exploring if Phragmites (an invasive species) could be used as food or fuel, showing a different approach to coexistence with nature.
Q & A
What is the significance of the winter season in traditional indigenous storytelling?
-In the winter, when there is deep snow on the ground, animals are hibernating and spirits are sleeping, making it a safe time to share certain stories that should not be heard by them. This is a time when indigenous people traditionally share knowledge and stories with the younger generations.
What does the indigenous name 'Ginyu' mean and how does it relate to the speaker's role?
-The indigenous name 'Ginyu' means 'golden eagle'. The speaker has been asked to watch over the lands and waters, which reflects the eagle's role as a protector and observer from above.
How does the speaker describe the relationship between indigenous people and the natural world?
-Indigenous people are described as caretakers of the earth with a profound spiritual connection to all living things. They practice humility and reciprocity, taking only what they need and using resources carefully to ensure the well-being of future generations.
What is the 'Law of Mutual Support' as mentioned in the script?
-The 'Law of Mutual Support' is the idea that people living on the land, both indigenous and non-indigenous, should work together with the natural world and not against it. It emphasizes the importance of cooperation and balance within the ecosystem.
How does the speaker view invasive species from an indigenous perspective?
-From an indigenous perspective, every species has value and a purpose. The speaker suggests that it's important to understand why a species has migrated to an area and how humans can coexist with it, rather than focusing solely on eradication.
What is the significance of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 in the context of the script?
-The Royal Proclamation of 1763 is seen as a turning point that disrupted the harmony between indigenous people and non-indigenous people, as well as the balance with the environment. It marked the beginning of problems for both indigenous communities and ecological integrity.
Why does the speaker believe that traditional indigenous practices were stopped?
-Traditional indigenous practices were stopped because they were deemed illegal by the Canadian government starting from 1978. These practices included cultural burning and ecological monitoring, which were essential for maintaining the balance within the ecosystem.
What role does enforcement play in the management of invasive species according to the speaker?
-Enforcement plays a crucial role in managing invasive species. The speaker points out that there is a lack of implementation and enforcement of prescribed management plans, which leads to improper restoration techniques and continued environmental degradation.
How does the speaker suggest that indigenous and non-indigenous people can work together on conservation?
-The speaker suggests creating an indigenous engagement strategy that involves all relevant indigenous communities and their treaty rights. It's important to have equal participation and to incorporate both indigenous knowledge and western science in conservation efforts.
What is the importance of understanding treaty rights in the context of environmental conservation?
-Understanding treaty rights is essential for environmental conservation because it acknowledges the indigenous people's rights to protect and manage their territories. This includes protecting waterways and culturally significant forest stands, which are often overlooked by non-indigenous people.
What personal realization prompted the speaker to embrace their indigenous knowledge and share it with others?
-The speaker's realization came when they started having children and understood the need to show them both sides of the knowledge system. They also overcame the fear of sharing their culture and values, which was previously discouraged and could have led to prosecution.
Outlines
🌏 Indigenous Perspectives on Invasive Species
The speaker, Frank Mighty, introduces the topic of indigenous perspectives on invasive species. He emphasizes the importance of viewing these species through an indigenous lens rather than a purely western scientific one. He shares his personal journey of integrating his indigenous knowledge with his scientific background. Frank discusses the historical context, noting that it was once illegal for him to share indigenous knowledge on conservation. He introduces himself with his indigenous name, Ginyu, which means 'golden eagle,' and explains his role in his community, the Skijamang or Curve Lake First Nation. He acknowledges the land he is on and the importance of storytelling in indigenous culture, particularly during winter months as a means to pass on teachings to younger generations.
📚 Traditional Teachings and Forgotten Laws
Frank Mighty discusses the indigenous concept of 'All My Relations,' which highlights the interconnectedness of all living beings and the responsibility to care for the environment. He contrasts this with the western approach to conservation and ecological management, which often overlooks these traditional teachings. He introduces the 'forgotten laws of governance,' which were disrupted by the signing of the Royal Proclamation in 1763. These laws include the principles of humility, reciprocity, and the understanding that humans are part of a larger natural family. Frank also talks about the Anishinaabe views on species movement and migration, emphasizing the idea that every species has a purpose and a place in the ecosystem.
🌱 Coexistence with Invasive Species
The speaker explores the idea of coexistence with invasive species from an indigenous perspective, challenging the western approach of eradication. He discusses the belief that every species has value and can be used in harmony with the ecosystem. Frank shares a personal anecdote about attempting to use phragmites as a food source, highlighting the indigenous approach to finding value in all species. He also suggests considering alternative uses for invasive species, such as fuel sources, and criticizes the colonial mindset that has led to environmental degradation. The speaker calls for a shift in perspective to one that includes indigenous knowledge and practices in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management.
🤝 Building Relationships and Balancing Perspectives
Frank Mighty discusses the importance of building relationships with indigenous communities when dealing with invasive species. He emphasizes the need for a holistic approach that includes all voices within a community, not just a single representative. He talks about the challenges of integrating traditional indigenous practices with western science and the need for enforcement of conservation plans. Frank also addresses the issue of ticks becoming a more significant problem than phragmites in his area and the importance of cultural burning as a potential solution. He stresses the need for a balanced approach that respects both indigenous knowledge and western science.
🔍 Implementing Treaty Rights and Conservation
In this paragraph, Frank Mighty talks about the importance of implementing treaty rights in conservation efforts. He discusses how indigenous people have protected certain forest stands and wetlands through treaties and how these rights are often overlooked. He highlights the need for settlers to understand and respect these rights to work together effectively. Frank also shares his personal journey from a colonial mindset to embracing his indigenous understanding of invasive species, driven by his desire to teach his children and be a bridge between knowledge systems. He mentions his involvement in the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership, which aims to create environmental protection through collaboration between indigenous and non-indigenous people.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Indigenous Perspectives
💡Invasive Species
💡Ecological Integrity
💡Traditional Teachings
💡All My Relations
💡Natural Law
💡Mutual Support
💡Anishinaabe
💡Phragmites
💡Cultural Burning
💡Conservation Through Reconciliation
Highlights
Speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding invasive species from an indigenous perspective.
Indigenous knowledge systems are highlighted as a crucial part of ecological management.
The speaker introduces himself with his indigenous name, Ginyu, meaning 'golden eagle'.
The speaker discusses the significance of winter as a time for storytelling and passing on indigenous teachings.
Traditional stories are viewed as laws that have governed the land for 15,000 years.
The concept of 'All My Relations' is introduced as a guiding principle for indigenous people's relationship with the earth.
Natural law is explained as absolute and evident, with no room for compromise.
The law of mutual support is presented as essential for living in harmony with the natural world.
Anishinaabe views on species movement and migration are shared, emphasizing the purpose behind these movements.
The speaker challenges the concept of 'invasive species' by suggesting every species has value and usefulness.
The potential of Phragmites as an alternative fuel source is discussed.
The speaker reflects on the settler community's approach to invasive species and its impact on indigenous lands.
The importance of understanding and incorporating cultural knowledge into ecological practices is emphasized.
The speaker calls for forgiveness and a change in perspective regarding the damage caused to the land.
Indigenous engagement strategies are suggested for organizations working on invasive species.
The need for enforcement and implementation of ecological management plans is highlighted.
The speaker shares personal stories of trying to find value in invasive species like Phragmites.
The concept of balance and coexistence with invasive species is explored.
The speaker discusses the impact of Phragmites on wildlife and the need for solutions.
The importance of understanding and respecting treaty rights in environmental conservation is emphasized.
The speaker shares his personal journey from colonial thinking to embracing traditional understandings of invasive species.
Examples of good practices in southern Ontario regarding invasive species management are given.
Transcripts
so honey hello welcome everybody um
uh this is the indigenous perspectives
and understandings of invasive species
and and uh told through the the the eyes
of uh frank mighty's and this is
something that's really fun uh that i
started doing this is me actually
switching off the western science side
of my brain and actually only focusing
through my indigenous side and my
indigenous knowledge systems and i
usually share with people um
i get to work with and i'm pretty happy
to be here today this is not an overly
long presentation so i actually want to
have a dialogue with people through
questions and answers if we can do that
um but please be reminded it wasn't long
ago it would have been illegal for me to
come and share my knowledge through
indigenous perspectives with all you
about conservation and ecological
management so i thank all of you from
the bottom of my heart for coming today
to listen to me speak
keeping with our traditions i will
introduce myself uh in our language and
our with my traditional name and my
indigenous name is ginyu which means the
golden eagle and i've been asked to
watch over the lands and waters i come
from a community called the skijamang or
curve lake first nation which is just
north of peterborough
uh in ontario and i'm a member of the
honor clan who specializes uh that
member that clan actually specializes in
indigenous and settler relations and
actually that's what i actually do
in my real world as well as being a
biologist
i'd actually like to acknowledge that
i'm in the uh my home territory of uh of
the chippewas and mississaugas of the
williams treaty and i'm sitting on
treaty 18 today
so it is winter and it is a very
important time for the uh mitch asagi
people
to go
and tell stories uh about the land and
ecological management how we're actually
gonna continue our livelihood in our
lifestyle
and we usually tell this to our young
people during the winter months and in
our culture it's an ancient and
important art and it's how we pass our
teachings
from one generation to the next so
that's kind of what we're going to do
today i'm going to show tell you about
some of our traditional teachings that
are often mislooked
in
western science and ecological
management of the landscape
uh and i often do this actually this
time of year to my kids and my nieces
and nephews because they tend to spend a
lot of time with us and they tend to
give me uh my the full attention
and when indigenous people refer to
things like traditional teachings i i
like ask people to remember
that's not just viewed as a story like
the ones that you might purchase at
chapters or read in a magazine but these
are the laws that have governed this
land for 15 000 years
well it's only been the last 587 years
that things have become out of balance
um and some of the challenges we've had
in ecological integrity
uh we did tell stories though just for
uh all year long for people's knowledge
but the the winners when we actually got
together and told stories
and um with the amount of snow we've had
recently in southern ontario i thought
this was best to do it in this in this
format
i shared with my daughter
uh the other day that traditional
stories can only be some stories can
only be told in the winter when there is
uh deep snow on the ground
the snow is significant because there
are some tales that you don't want to be
telling when the animals and other
spirits are out to hear you
when there's snow on the ground you know
the animals are hibernating and you know
the spirits are sleeping so they can't
hear you and that's why we talk about
them
and then all indigenous people have to
wait all year round for these stories to
be told so i'm glad that you're here
today
so i'm going to start with uh the
traditional teaching of all our
relations and
some of these laws i'll share with you
today i i call them the forgotten laws
of governance and and this forgotten law
of government started around
uh 1763 with the signing of the royal
proclamation and up to that point
indigenous people and non-indigenous
people lived in harmony under our
natural law and governance it was a
signing of the royal approximation that
really started causing problems not only
for the indigenous people but the
environment as well
so it here's the teaching about all our
relations so indigenous peoples are
caretakers of mother earth and realize
and respect her gifts of water air and
fire indigenous peoples have a special
relationship with the earth and all
living things in it this relationship is
based on a profound spiritual connection
to mother earth that has guided our
people to practice humility and
reciprocity uh in all our activities
it's also based on the sub subsistence
needs and values extending back tens of
thousands of years
hunting gathering and fishing to secure
food
preserve ourselves families elderly the
widows and the community and for
ceremonial purposes
everything is taken and used with the
understanding that we can only take what
we need and we must use great care and
be aware how we take things and how much
of it so the future generations will not
be put in peril
all my relations is the teaching that is
a first reminder of
who we are and all our relations with
both our natural family and our
relatives but also to all human beings
on this planet we even extend this
relationship to go further with the web
of kinship to all animals
the the birds or the winged ones the
fish the skilled ones and to the plants
and it forms this integral marriage of
the web of life
all my relations is encouraged for us to
accept the responsibilities we have
within the universal family of living
beings in a humorous and moral manner to
this earth
another law that we don't often talk
about
uh when we start doing
conservation planning is natural law
our worldview as indigenous people
maintains that with within nature it can
be kind and generous
one of strength
of natural law is that all everything
that nature does is absolute
natural law is evident and clear and
allows no room for compromise
for example any person who stays outside
on a cold winter's night without proper
clone clothing will freeze to death any
creature whether it be a dog a deer a
person
a flea or even a tick
if they don't uh eat and drink they will
die natural law prevails around the
rulings of any human law
it's is simple basic and
eternal
like the circle of life itself humans
who live within natural law will live
well because natural
because nature provides all that is
needed for the essentials of life
these first uh the first people of this
land believe that these laws of the
natural world would be shared closely
and observed
to guide uh to guide all our human
behaviors
after all most creation stories describe
the human position in the world as being
a humble one humans are not to intended
to conquer and control the natural but
to live in harmony within it
and the final law that i never see
talked about uh anymore
is a law of mutual support
and that one is for people who live on
the land whether it be indigenous people
or non-indigenous people the demands of
daily life require that people work
together with the natural world not
against it or against each other and all
those other beings who occupy that space
traditional peoples lived within the web
of life with mutual support from the
environment knowing that eventually
it will always secure and create a
balance and that's one of the things i
talk about a lot when i talk about
invasive species there will be
eventually a balance achieved we just
have to
understand it and be patient
so now we move into our talk about
invasive species and how this all works
and and
um you look at the anishinaabe views on
i called anishinaabe views on species on
the move
and for the mitchell soggy people that's
what i am i'm an ishinabe person or you
might know us as ojibwe people but i'm a
mitch asagi person which uh we are the
inhabitants of the shores of lake
ontario the north shore of lake ontario
um
and
for our people we always knew species
moved around
some people call it a migration from
region to region and our people did this
as well we would move around with those
species and
and and you know from our spring and
summer and winter hunting grounds we
would travel around our territories so
why wouldn't this be true at a much
larger global scale
right we've always believed that as the
michael sagi people things did move
around with a purpose
the mitsusaki believed that all species
could be used and had a place in the
ecosystem if you ask through the lens of
spirituality
everything has migrated to an area we
just have to ask why is it here and how
can we coexist together
right that's a very different
perspective um we talk about invasive
species management how can we co-exist
together
granted there can be some challenges
along the way
but we all have a purpose when we come
together and serve it together
to the natural environment
so let's now talk about what settlers
deem as invasive species
our world view
as an anishinabe or mitch asagi people
believe that every plant in life has a
value and a usefulness to it it's our
collective responsibility as the
youngest members of this
natural family that means humans being
the youngest to show up on the
evolutionary scale
to figure out how we can use and use
these species and work together with
them
i often find and i'm not trying to lay
blame on anybody that settler beliefs
um often exhibit when invasive species
show up
western science tells us that they
should be dealt with
if we the indigenous people shared this
belief system then things might look
different than the landscape that we
call canada
you came to us as most part and act like
an aggressive invasive species and we
still do to this day
but we took pity on you open our lands
and our waters and try to create
co-balance with you and to this day
we're still trying to figure out
um what is meant by you coming to these
lands to teach us much like the
phragmites
i believe some species like fragmented
have come to us as a person has and we
have ignorantly as canadians not ask why
um
could it be used as a food source my
friends and i and my family members
uh i'll share this personal story with
everybody please don't laugh when i do
this uh when i share this um
but we actually looked at we're like hey
the seeds uh pods really look like
quinoa well maybe if we roasted them our
traditional way we do wild rice or
monomin
we can actually have a food source for
people so my cousins and i and my
friends gathered a whole bunch up and we
did our traditional ceremonies around
roasting them
and then the big moment of truth we went
to eat them
and it turns out you can't eat
fragmatities but at least we tried and
you know i also brought up the point
maybe it's an alternative fuel source
right maybe we can turn these uh
the stocks into uh
fuel like the pellet wood burning stoves
and a lot of people don't know even in
ontario central ontario and southern
ontario
most first nations
run on burning wood for the source of
heat
in this modern day of different
technologies to eat your home we still
use
wood because
the non-indigenous community will not
share their natural gas pipelines and
other ways to heat their homes we still
rely on what so maybe this is a source
for that
right we can use that we don't have to
cut down trees anymore we can use
phragmites
so that's one of the things that we
often talk about right
how do we work together and
and work with these plants
i also look back over this pandemic and
see another plant that settler society
uh
really can test its value to the
ecosystem
and i'm speaking about the manitoba
maple
every report my community gets to review
and talk about invasive species and the
waste control invasive species
it talks about eradication of manitoba
maple and it makes me chuckle a lot
because
it's interesting because the the settler
community does not know
that that's a prized
uh medicinal plant that my people use
it was one of the first plants when the
pandemic first struck that i actually
was asked to go harvest for my elders
and knowledge keepers yet people view it
as a nutrient species
right over time since its arrival in our
territory we've asked how to use it and
and talk to our other family members
across this territory in this great land
to how do we use it to help our people
and that's what we need to do here with
phragmites
what are we doing that we need
what are we doing still doing and need
to currently shift
to help correct the problems with this
perspective and these and
this land
we still need to understand and work
together that these colonizing behaviors
that we use in western science is still
leading to environmental degradation and
the spread of invasive species
understand that um settlers
typically prescribe
um and substitute for different species
that they remove from our landscape for
example
settlers remove bison we replace them
with cattle we sacrificed atlantic
salmon lake trout brook trout from lake
ontario and replaced them with pacific
salmon rainbow trout and brown trout
so to end on before we open it up for
questions and a more wholesome
sharing circle
we need to enhance our understanding
practices
that still
may
contribute to the impact of biodiversity
and biodiversity conservation and
further ecosystem management
understand the cultural knowledge and
value of systems and under uh that
underpins certain practices that we do
on the landscape
and most importantly we need to ask for
forgiveness to the damage that we have
done to this land and that we continue
to cause together
and i'd like to say jimmy guetch for
your time today and i will open it to
questions
um i suppose i'll open with my first
question that
ccis has talked with amongst ourselves
what would you recommend to be the best
way that we'd be reaching out to
indigenous peoples because so many
our invasive organizations do run on
western science
how can we
reach out to these people to incorporate
them into what we're doing
oh um
that's actually uh something that uh
a few of my friends and i've been
talking about quite a bit but it is
actually starting to create an
indigenous engagement strategy one of
the big things that
i would actually say canadians forget is
that
when we start applying some of these
western techniques that they could have
an impact of our rights as first nations
people
right and i'm not trying to be critical
of anybody but we need to understand
that there is this impact of rights that
you might not know because you don't
have those rights as non-indigenous
people
so we need to actually have wholesome
relationships with indigenous people and
and i would start looking at um the
major treaty areas of
like you know for ontario uh like you
start with us you reach out to the
williams treaty
uh
seven communities right of central
ontario then you start like looking at
the robinson huron and then maybe you
can start looking at watershed levels
because we often lived in watersheds but
you have these plans where you have
equal participation by the indigenous
community and that's really important um
we don't want one indigenous voice if
there's like nine first nations
right uh that have signatories to that
treaty area then you need to have all
nine
right it's not simple just having one
voice you need all nine because each
first nation is a different nation and
we represent ourselves differently we
might be all related to each other and
we're family but we all have different
community goals especially around
environment environmental conservation
thank you and courtney says hi gary i
love this perspective could you speak
more on how we balance developing a
relationship and finding rules for
invasive species like phragmites with
the potential
harm yeah um
you know and each community is different
so they might have a totally different
perspective than my own
right um
we you know my people have been uh
removed from the landscape for 100 years
with a treaty that was full of lies um
the first ever governmental white uh
white out was used on one of our
treaties to renegotiate after we signed
it so we have a different perspective of
a healing process than a commune that
may not have those challenges and so you
need to really strike that conversation
up and ask what their local stories are
how do they do things right
um
i know this is not prescriptive of
fragmities for sure but
the big one that we're talking about we
have a
an invasive problem with ticks right now
it's actually the tick problem is so big
in central ontario right now it's
actually superseded our frank mightiest
challenge that we have and we haven't
been really looking at fragments as much
as we should be because our
ticks are ravaging the landscape
essentially and but we used to be do
cultural burning so what are those
cultural ecological monitoring
techniques that you've now still deemed
illegal for us to do so when i often
talk to different regulators i'm like
hey i have a person on my team and like
my staff that
her
especially his cultural restoration to
prescribe burning
that really makes a lot of people
nervous but if that's a technique you
should be using
for that area how can we do it in a good
way and how can we collect use both
knowledge systems to facilitate that
conversation
right you could totally do a traditional
uh cultural thing and still collect
western science data on it you just need
to ask a more wholesome how right don't
come to us with the prescribed plan but
actually talk about us and how we used
to manage these things
and that and that and that's a something
that will help us also create cultural
uh like a cultural rejuvenation to a
landscape right because there's still a
lot you know it wasn't until 1978 that a
lot of our practices were deemed illegal
by canada so we need to acknowledge that
piece into it as well
um so next question from janice
it's along the same lines what are your
thoughts about the impact phragmites on
wildlife that cannot be moved out of the
habitat
being overtaken to detriment because
phragmites seems to be a bit of a bully
oh you know janice i was going to say
there's a europe europe joke there
somewhere um
uh
but uh yeah and it is something and this
is something we've been asking that
question for like you know we look at
silver turtle species and some uh we
actually are a community that loves to
eat um bull frogs and green frogs
and and we're seeing a decrease in those
populations across our territory
especially where there is uh high
abundance of fragmodies um
and
so we're actually looking at trying to
how to create solutions around that
uh it is actually quite a challenge
um but we're also looking at it from a
western uh compliance measure so when
you know western science practitioners
prescribe an evasive species management
plan for a site in our territory we'd
actually like to see you carry it out
that's one of the biggest challenges we
see in the in the kawarthas is that
people write and prescribe these plans
but there's no one there to enforce it's
uh
it's implica uh implementation right so
we do see a lot of
soil disruption seed disruption um
you know we have cartridges coming into
our territory mowing down
uh phragmites and actually other
traditional plants we use
um and just creating a whole big mess
right we're seeing improper restoration
techniques where they say hey look we
moved to wetland for you don't worry
and it's like no you just moved a bunch
of fragments you actually didn't move
anything that we wanted right so there's
a lot of implementation right we we're
still at that cusp where i i often say
and i'm and i do i do western science
and i do indigenous sciences as well
settlers write great policy they have no
mechanism to monitor and implement them
we need more implementation monument
enforcement right i want to see a fine
that will hurt you as a business
development
person not
just oh you know i once had a person
actually tell us he's going to raise a
check right there on the spot and i
thought you know
like oh my god right like what we're
doing isn't working so we need more of
that we need more enforcement
all right a question from michael
seeking out the value of species of any
origin have for people examples being
fuel and food can also lead to issues
such as over exploitation do you have
any thoughts on how to guard against
this
well so you have to actually if you're
in ontario you have to look at the
treaty rights of the people that you're
working in
so in our treaty area
we actually have in central ontario
um
that we've just settled our treaty in
2018 it was reaffirmed that we had these
rights by canada we had apologies by the
province by multiple levels of the
province and the federal government
that we have protected through um
our treaty rights the the protection of
certain forest stands culturally
significant forest stands like sugar
maple and
oak and uh birch
and eastern hemlock but we've also
protected all the wetlands every wetland
in central ontario is protected through
the treaty we actually don't need
western science we just need all of you
to know that
and and so if we had these
implementation measures in place and
people understand that then we can
actually work together
right and that's the challenge piece to
it it's people don't know these things
so you need to research in the treaty
right we actually as indigenous people
wrote
um the fact that you uh need to protect
the environment from people coming into
our territory like we actually never
sign the rights to water away so for an
example so any harm settlers do to the
water waterways in our territory central
ontario that's a violation of treaty
right even for you to take a glass of
water in central ontario
is a violation of treaty because you
don't have our consent and who would
have thought that right i come from a
first nation north of peterborough with
not clean oh we don't have clean
drinking water
and that's the reality right ironically
the treaty that we possess for the
muskokas
and the perry sound area uh you guys are
all gonna laugh when you hear this it
actually says white people can't live
there
so we definitely know we have to
renegotiate that one right and we're
kind of like the all environmental
destruction that's happening up there
like you can keep it it's okay it's kind
of like toronto we don't want it back
it's kind of you've done enough um so we
need to work on those on those values
for sure and implement treaty in a good
way
so this is a personal question
um you have a scientific background so
what was the
reason or trigger that made you switch
from the more
i suppose colonial thinking toward
invasive species towards your
traditional understanding
that's a good question
i think
so it's always been on like um one of
the things the elders always told me is
that they were reading
breeding me to be one of the bridges
between both knowledge systems
and
uh but for me it was actually um
when i started having kids and then i
realized okay someone needs to show them
both sides of this coin
to make a difference in canada and i
think that's what really triggered it
um and it got me into more sharing
stories like this and then it's also
part of it too was stop i would stop
being afraid of it i was no longer
afraid
to share our values and our culture with
all of you
it was actually we grew up teaching that
this was a bad thing to share with you
and that we could be prosecuted for it
and one day i just said i'll just do it
all right courtney you would like to
know are there any examples of people
doing this work in a good way in
southern ontario that you know of or
have been involved in
yeah
a lot of us are uh are members of the
conservation through reconciliation
partnership at the university of guelph
that's where we kind of store some of
these ideas and we were able to work
together with indigenous people and
non-indigenous people to create
um environmental protection it started
through the indigenous
uh protected areas campaign and the
pathways one target but we're now start
branching out doing more conservation
discussions
awesome well thank you so much gary we
really appreciate you uh coming joining
us and we really enjoyed your more
storytelling style
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